[1.03] The Mount Wilson-University of California Connection from Hussey and Seares to Mayall and Olin Wilson

D. E. Osterbrock (UCO/Lick Obs., UCSC)

George Ellery Hale, who founded Mount Wilson Solar
Observatory, first visited Lick Observatory in 1890, soon
after his graduation from MIT. After his parents' deaths,
when he began openly planning a Yerkes Observatory
``expedition" to California, Hale's friend James E. Keeler,
then Lick Observatory Director, invited him (in 1899) to
locate it on Mt.Hamilton. Hale thanked him, but replied that
sites further south would have more clear weather. He had
probably already decided on Mount Wilson. There were many
close connections between the University of California and
Mount Wilson Observatory from that time right up to the
present.

W.J. Hussey was the Lick astronomer who carried out the
official site survey that confirmed Mount Wilson as the best
site. Harold Palmer (UC Astronomy PhD 1903) was the first
new staff member Hale hired, but he only lasted a few
months.

The two main reasons for the continuing connection were the
geographical proximity of Pasadena and the Bay Area, and the
fact that for many years UC was the outstanding graduate
astronomy department in the country, producing numerous well
trained observational research astronomers. However in the
early years the reasons were more complicated. After Palmer,
the next three hired at MWO were Arthur King, the first UC
Physics PhD (1903); Harold Babcock, (UC Engineering BS
1907); and F.H. Seares (UC Astronomy BS 1895). Harold
Babcock trained his son in astronomy almost from birth, and
Horace (UC Astronomy PhD 1938) joined the MWO staff after
World War II and became its Director in 1964. Palmer and
Edward Fath (UC PhD 1909) were less successful at MWO and
soon departed. These and numerous other MWO astronomers with
UC backgrounds will be mentioned, and their careers
discussed.